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- All HBS Web (255)
- Faculty Publications (211)
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- October 2022 (Revised December 2022)
- Case
Aphro Beverages
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Amram Migdal
This case focuses on distribution, sales, and product decisions as Aphro Beverages reaches an inflection point in its growth trajectory. In 2020, Aphro Beverages, based in Accra, Ghana, successfully launched its brand and brought two new alcoholic spirits products to... View Details
Keywords: Agribusiness; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Business Ventures; Business Growth and Maturation; Entrepreneurship; Food; Geography; Geographic Scope; Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Resource Allocation; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Digital Marketing; Product Marketing; Product Launch; Product Positioning; Social Marketing; Operations; Distribution; Distribution Channels; Product; Product Design; Product Development; Supply Chain; Sales; Salesforce Management; Food and Beverage Industry; Africa; Ghana
Cespedes, Frank V., and Amram Migdal. "Aphro Beverages." Harvard Business School Case 823-044, October 2022. (Revised December 2022.)
- 22 Mar 2017
- Research & Ideas
What's the Ideal Frequency for a Sales Quota?
spend more than $800 billion annually on those efforts. Sales compensation plans are at the center of all this activity, the primary tool managers use to motivate and incentivize salespeople. Sales reps feed on two forms of compensation:... View Details
Keywords: by Carmen Nobel
- February 2021
- Case
Yellow Digital Retailers: Providing Solar Electricity to Transform Rural Africa
By: Lynda M. Applegate, Frank V. Cespedes and Michael Norris
In 2020, Mike Heyink and Maya Stewart, co-founders of the Pay-as-you-Go Solar company Yellow were considering how to grow their startup. They had achieved some success in their first market, Malawi, and had recently entered Uganda, where business was slower. What did... View Details
Keywords: Solar Energy; Business Model; Business Startups; Developing Countries and Economies; Alternative Energy; Renewable Energy; Social Entrepreneurship; Green Technology; Salesforce Management; Diversification; Expansion; Energy Industry; Africa; South Africa; Malawi; Uganda
Applegate, Lynda M., Frank V. Cespedes, and Michael Norris. "Yellow Digital Retailers: Providing Solar Electricity to Transform Rural Africa." Harvard Business School Case 821-041, February 2021.
- May 2019
- Supplement
Kjell and Company: Motivating Salespeople with Incentive Compensation (C)
By: Doug J. Chung
Kjell & Company was a Swedish retail electronics chain. The company’s products consisted of home electronics and accessories. The company was noted for its excellent customer service and a fair “one-for-all” HR policy. Historically, the salespeople had been compensated... View Details
Keywords: Salesforce Management; Compensation and Benefits; Change Management; Behavior; Electronics Industry; Sweden
Chung, Doug J. "Kjell and Company: Motivating Salespeople with Incentive Compensation (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 519-095, May 2019.
- February 2008 (Revised May 2008)
- Supplement
Lincoln Financial Group (C)
LFG reorganizes its business in order to improve customer intimacy. However, to implement the strategy, they need to effect significant changes in the skills of their salespeople. This case series straddles human resource management, corporate strategy, and sales... View Details
Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Salesforce Management; Customer Focus and Relationships; Financial Services Industry
Godes, David B., and David Lane. "Lincoln Financial Group (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 508-030, February 2008. (Revised May 2008.)
- July 2021 (Revised February 2022)
- Case
Mary Kay Inc.: Enriching Women's Lives while Embracing Change
By: Elie Ofek, K. Shelette Stewart and Julia Kelley
In December 2020, Mary Kay Inc. Chief Marketing Officer Sheryl Adkins-Green considered several strategic dilemmas. Founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay was a direct sales company whose Independent Beauty Consultants purchased its beauty and cosmetics products at... View Details
Keywords: Advertising Campaigns; Demographics; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Marketing Channels; Marketing Communications; Marketing Strategy; Product Marketing; Product Positioning; Social Marketing; Salesforce Management; Organizations; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Innovation and Invention; Innovation Strategy; Competition; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; North and Central America; United States; Europe; Asia; Texas
Ofek, Elie, K. Shelette Stewart, and Julia Kelley. "Mary Kay Inc.: Enriching Women's Lives while Embracing Change." Harvard Business School Case 522-004, July 2021. (Revised February 2022.)
- June 2024 (Revised August 2024)
- Case
Revlon India's Turnaround: Navigating Online-Offline Decisions Using a Balanced Scorecard
By: Tatiana Sandino and Samuel Grad
Revlon India was founded as a joint venture in 1995, pairing the industrial conglomerate UMG with the global beauty brand Revlon, Inc. to bring international color cosmetics to India. After growing rapidly and pioneering the Beauty Advisor (BA) model in India, the... View Details
Keywords: Balanced Scorecard; Restructuring; Training; Supply Chain Management; Distribution; E-commerce; Business Model; Business Plan; Decision Choices and Conditions; Marketing Strategy; Alignment; Brands and Branding; Negotiation; Joint Ventures; Strategic Planning; Salesforce Management; Competition; Retail Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; India
Sandino, Tatiana, and Samuel Grad. "Revlon India's Turnaround: Navigating Online-Offline Decisions Using a Balanced Scorecard." Harvard Business School Case 124-107, June 2024. (Revised August 2024.)
- June 2017 (Revised May 2019)
- Supplement
Kjell and Company: Motivating Salespeople with Incentive Compensation (B)
By: Doug J. Chung
Kjell & Company was a Swedish retail electronics chain founded in 1988 by brothers Marcus, Mikael and Fredrik Dahnelius. The company operated 84 stores, all company-owned, located mainly in the metropolitan areas of Sweden’s most popular cities: Stockholm, Gothemburg... View Details
Keywords: Salesforce Management; Compensation and Benefits; Motivation and Incentives; Change Management; Behavior; Electronics Industry; Sweden
Chung, Doug J. "Kjell and Company: Motivating Salespeople with Incentive Compensation (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 517-133, June 2017. (Revised May 2019.)
- May 2017
- Teaching Note
Promontory, Inc. (Brief Case)
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Amy Handlin
Teaching Note for HBS No. 917-535. The Promontory teaching note covers a) how and why buying processes in Promontory’s market generate the array of selling approaches illustrated in the case; b) the impact of incremental sales increases on the firm’s cost structure and... View Details
- March 1990 (Revised March 1992)
- Supplement
Mary Kay Cosmetics: Sales Force Incentives (B)
By: Robert L. Simons
Details the changes made to the VIP automobile plan. View Details
Simons, Robert L. "Mary Kay Cosmetics: Sales Force Incentives (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 190-122, March 1990. (Revised March 1992.)
- June 2013
- Supplement
Wayne Ferrari: iAutomation at a Crossroads (Video Supplement)
This is the Video Supplement for Wayne Ferrari: I Automation at a Crossroads (HBS Case #813120). View Details
Keywords: Entrepreneurs; Private Equity Exit; Pricing; Pricing Policies; Pricing Strategy; Pricing Structure; Distribution; Channels Of Distribution; Acquisitions; Integration; Growth; Salesforce Management; Price; Private Equity; Manufacturing Industry; Distribution Industry; Electronics Industry; United States
Sharpe, Jim. "Wayne Ferrari: iAutomation at a Crossroads (Video Supplement)." Harvard Business School Video Supplement 813-704, June 2013.
- July 2012 (Revised August 2015)
- Case
SOHO China: Design, Development, and Social Harmony
By: Arthur I Segel and Mukti Khaire
Founded in 1995 by Zhang Xin and her husband Mr. Pan Shiyi, SOHO China has developed into a world-class real estate development firm that has consistently delivered high-quality projects known for their cutting-edge designs and investment potential. Despite the... View Details
Keywords: Real Estate; Organizational Culture; Leasing; Design; Asset Management; Salesforce Management; Sales; Real Estate Industry; China
Segel, Arthur I., and Mukti Khaire. "SOHO China: Design, Development, and Social Harmony." Harvard Business School Case 213-025, July 2012. (Revised August 2015.)
- November 2, 2015
- Article
The Best Ways to Hire Salespeople
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Daniel Weinfurter
Companies typically spend more on hiring in sales than they do anywhere else in the firm. Average annual turnover in sales is 25% to 30%, while direct replacement costs for a telesales employee ranges from $75,000 to $90,000 and other sales positions cost as much as... View Details
Cespedes, Frank V., and Daniel Weinfurter. "The Best Ways to Hire Salespeople." Harvard Business Review (website) (November 2, 2015).
- March–April 2014
- Article
Do Bonuses Enhance Sales Productivity? A Dynamic Structural Analysis of Bonus-Based Compensation Plans
By: Doug J. Chung, Thomas Steenburgh and K. Sudhir
We estimate a dynamic structural model of sales force response to a bonus based compensation plan. Substantively, the paper sheds insights on how different elements of the compensation plan enhance productivity. We find evidence that: (1) bonuses enhance productivity... View Details
Chung, Doug J., Thomas Steenburgh, and K. Sudhir. "Do Bonuses Enhance Sales Productivity? A Dynamic Structural Analysis of Bonus-Based Compensation Plans." Marketing Science 33, no. 2 (March–April 2014): 165–187. (Lead article. Featured in HBS Working Knowledge.)
- September 1992 (Revised July 1993)
- Case
Staples, Inc.
By: David E. Bell
Staples is dissatisfied with the merchandising of its office furniture. The case reviews the situation, allowing students to consider whether the category should be dropped or changed. Permits consideration of the portfolio of products a positioning implies, and... View Details
Bell, David E. "Staples, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 593-034, September 1992. (Revised July 1993.)
- March 1998 (Revised June 1999)
- Case
DigitalThink: Building a Sales Force
By: Michael J. Roberts, Joseph B. Lassiter III and Christina L. Darwall
A broad set of issues faces a young company in the Internet-based training business as it begins to sell its product to corporate customers. Issues include: profile of attractive candidates, compensation, definition of territory, definition of quotas, and role of... View Details
Roberts, Michael J., Joseph B. Lassiter III, and Christina L. Darwall. "DigitalThink: Building a Sales Force." Harvard Business School Case 898-193, March 1998. (Revised June 1999.)
- February 2008
- Supplement
EFI, Inc. (C)
By: David B. Godes and Lauren Barley
This is a follow-on case to EFI, Inc. (A) and (B). It reports on the sales force's response to the new plan and provides some data as to their performance in the quarters immediately following the implementation of the new plan. View Details
Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Salesforce Management; Compensation and Benefits; Information Technology Industry
Godes, David B., and Lauren Barley. "EFI, Inc. (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 508-046, February 2008.
- February 2008
- Supplement
EFI, Inc. (B)
By: David B. Godes and Lauren Barley
This is a follow-on case to EFI, Inc. (A). It reports on Dean Mills' decision to implement a new compensation approach that pays 25% of salespeople's bonus, based on their individual sales of software add-on products. He also recommends making public each salesperson's... View Details
Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Salesforce Management; Compensation and Benefits; Information Technology Industry
Godes, David B., and Lauren Barley. "EFI, Inc. (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 508-045, February 2008.
- October 1989
- Background Note
Aspects of Sales Management: Key Themes
Keywords: Salesforce Management
Cespedes, Frank V. "Aspects of Sales Management: Key Themes." Harvard Business School Background Note 590-042, October 1989.
- 21 Nov 2016
- Research & Ideas
It Matters That Your CEO Doesn't Know Much About Sales
senior executives specializing in everything except sales. “The number of executives reporting to the CEO in the average S&P 500 company has doubled in the last 20 years,” says Frank V. Cespedes, a senior lecturer in the Entrepreneurial View Details
Keywords: by Michael Blanding